The last time the Rochester’s choice winners were announced, I lamented the fact that Bill Gray’s was voted the best cheeseburger. This time, the vote for favorite local radio station is something I can agree on.

The vote for favorite local radio station went to WBER, and I love this station. So much so, that I changed all the radio presets in my mom’s car to WBER. I figured since she doesn’t listen to the radio while driving, it was fine to do so, but my dad found out, and got mad. It was worth it, though.

I’ve been listening to this station for years, and while it may play more obscure music a lot of the time, most of it is very good, and the station has a certain “sound” associated with it. Over the years, the station has introduced me to many great artists, such as Tegan and Sara, Vampire Weekend, Matt & Kim, Death Cab For Cutie, Crystal Castles, and many more. If you count my favorite band of all time, Alkaline Trio, there’s another. The station is also responsible for introducing me to the hilarious sounds of MC Lars, another current favorite of mine.

The station has many programs, aside from sending their broadcasting signal to many local High School radio clubs, They also feature a show bringing you the best in local music, new wave Wednesdays, the Friday morning show, and Elektrobank.

One of hy favorite programs happens every year on New Year’s Day, where DJ’s count down the top 30 songs from the previous year, as well as playing old favorites that made the countdown in years past. Most years, there is one song that seems to be played more than the rest, and easily gets the number one spot, in my opinion. One year, the top spot went to Death Cab For Cutie, for their song “I Will Possess Your Heart;” and staying true to their roots, WBER played the full 8-minute version of the song, rather than editing it. Last year, the number one song was pretty obvious, and it was “Pumped Up Kicks,” by Foster The People, which WBER started playing, before the song became real popular.

Admittedly, I’m usually pretty good at guessing which song will take the top spot, but this year, it’s wide open, in my opinion. It could be Foster The People again, with the song “Houdini,” or possibly Minus the bear, who had two popular songs on the station throughout the year. Tune in at noon on New Year’s Day for the countdown, and go to wber.org for more information.

As 2012 comes to a close, I have found myself very nostalgic for the simpler years gone by. The most recent tradgedies, one close to home for us Rochesterians, are much more impactful as an informed adult. I will never forget events like 9-11 or Columbine, but I was too young to fully feel the impact they had on society.

Just like many of you, I spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day watching the news for the latest update on the tragedy in Webster. I could not be with my family on the holiday this year, so distractions from the news were few and far between. To lift up my mood and get in the holiday spirit, I decided to make a short list of stories from the past year that would be sure to warm my heart and restore my hope and faith in what is good. I truly feel that as a society, if we can learn to focus on each other – our human values, interests, etc. - we will be able to move forward and make 2013 a great year. It is important to learn lessons from our past tragedies, but we must not lose sight of the greatness among us:

Al Sigl Community celebrated a 50 year anniversary and instead of having a black-tie gala, invited the community to an inclusive baseball game and picnic at Frontier Field – tickets were free to clients of the community.

In the late 1990s/early 2000s as large companies began moving their operations oversees and the world became overwhelmed with the pretense and potential of the internet and interconnectedness, anti-globalization protests made their opinions known. One of the first of these protests to gain notoriety was the 1999 protest in Seattle, Washington where more than 50,000 protestors smashed windows and clashed with police during the World Trade Organization meetings.

1999 Seattle Protest

As the United States underwent recession in 2007 the tone of these “anti-globalization” protests hit closer to home as the “Occupy Wall Street” movement took hold. Joseph E. Steiglitz argues that these protests are linked and that the “Occupy” movement is a manifestation of the original sentiment lying behind the anti-globalization protests. What that sentiment is, exactly, is a little harder to define (http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-globalization-of-protest).

One on hand, many of those that participate or feel sympathy in these anti-globalization protests fear the devastation that can occur from globalization, whether it be the loss of jobs in developed countries or the unsafe working conditions in developing countries. With the “Occupy” movements, there is anger at income inequality and the idea that large corporations are given “carte blanche” operating regulations.

Today the conversation around globalization and inequity is still occurring just as dramatically as in the early 2000s. In addition, institutions of higher education are joining this development as they enroll more international students, engage in

Via "The Fiscal Times"

global research and collaborations and contribute to higher education rankings and stats globally. The globalization of higher education comes with its own debates and controversies, not to the extent of the Seattle or “Occupy” protests, but offering some pensive thoughts. Some universities and colleges in efforts to “diversify” fill up their quotas with numbers of international students many of whom do not qualify for financial aid (and therefore don’t use up the university’s precious resources) and whose families can afford to foot the bill of expensive colleges and universities and perhaps make donations as well.

This is a debate that is not going away anytime soon. President Obama continues to visit factories and manufacturing locations employing rhetoric around bringing jobs home, the most recent being December 12th, 2012 (http://www.wate.com/story/20304114/ap-source-obama-to help-unveil-factory-expansion). Working conditions in developing nations continue to be dangerous as evident by the recent fire in a Bangladesh factory, even though the fire was possibly set by an employee of the factory the safety conditions were not maintained and contributed to the devastation and loss of lives (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/asia/bangladesh-factory-fire-caused-by-gross-negligence.html).

Additionally, citizens are just as concerned about issues of inequity. The debates over globalization continue as well as debates over taxing the wealthy and regulating big business. While the actual “Occupy” and anti-globalization protests are no longer on the main stage, these issues continue to be seen in our policy debates and will continue until some consensus is reached.

Time and time again I hear people bah-humbugging about the meaning of Christmas being lost. But when we say that something is lost, it usually means that it is no longer in our visible sight, or that we are not able to locate it. It also implies that we once knew where or what it was, and remember it just enough to report it missing.

So for those who refuse to participate in the festivities, I ask, “Is it you who lost Christmas?”

Over the holiday season, I’ve picked up a few Christmas themed books from Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester. By no coincidence, it sounds like there was always a significant, if not the majority, of society that believed the meaning of Christmas was lost. The Baptists and Puritans of the 17th and 18th century believed that the meaning was lost when people partook in any sort of festivities that weren’t explicitly written in the Good Book. Nineteenth century Irish immigrants who were hostile towards the Church of England considered the true meaning of Christmas to be lost to the political implications of subscribing to English holidays. And perhaps more justified, the Niles-Bement-Pond Company just knew that the true meaning of Christmas was lost when the National Labor Relations Board took them to court in 1951 for refusing to give their employees their traditional Christmas bonuses to offset the cost of a more generous retirement plan.

If there’s one theme I picked up from books dating back to the early 1900s to the turn of the century, it’s that everyone thinks Christmas is lost. No one ever knows where in the world is Christmas!

Well, allow me to take a stab at it. The reason I’ve never “lost” Christmas is because of my father. He grew up in a small apartment in the Bronx, NY with nine siblings and both his parents. My father and late Uncle Kenny would always tell me the common reflection you hear from most poor black families who grew up in the inner-city during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Stories of stick ball, street fights, plates filled with vegetables and lard, hope sandwiches (bread with flour in it. Basically, you “hope” you never have to eat it again, or you “hope” there will be something else in it next time), and of course that one neighbor who fed the whole block. But the thing that always stuck out in his stories was the perseverance of his parents. For one, having two parents in the South Bronx was probably an anomaly. Aside from all the arguments, they never left one another’s side.

And that would always translate into a real Christmas. No matter how poor the year was or how hard it was to get by, my father told me that he always woke up happy on Christmas. Every year, they had a real tree. Every year, they had plenty to eat. And every year, he could be sure to see a toy like a rocking horse or a Cowboy outfit under the tree, because Christmas was too sacred for penny pinching and an ordinary meal. By no coincidence, he tells me that the greatest Christmas him and my Uncle Kenny ever had was after my namesake, Artie Jerome Nathaniel, shockingly brought home a lump of money for the family.

Years later, he had me. Twenty-three years later, I’ve never had a dull Christmas. It’s not the gifts or food in-and-of itself; it’s the feeling that every day of December gives me. The Temptations’ “Silent Night” has to be played on repeat; I have to struggle to sleep through the smell of my Grandma’s or mom’s sweet potato pie; I have to watch “The Year Without a Santa Claus” with my sister and cousin (yes, even at age 23 and 24. Get ready Brittney!); I have to see the tree light up with Nate King Cole playing in the background every night; and most importantly, I have to share pieces of me to make someone feel truly special, blessed, and loved more than any other day they’ve had previously. The gifts are trivial. They are the “just so happens” part of Christmas. Perhaps the reason why I never understood people who bah-humbug about consumerism assassinating Saint Nick is because there’s a pretext of “burden” involved, similar to the angry tither in church. But if you were to give freely and cheerfully without a sense of obligation, then you’d never be able to lose something as huge as Christmas. If the commercials bother you, try channel surfing during breaks.

So I guess I rambled enough and said all that to say:

I’VE FOUND SOME CHRISTMAS FOR YOU!!!

I just so happen to be running a toy drive with the University of Rochester’s Christian Fellowship for the Pirate Toy Fund. The toys go to kids who may wake up on Christmas morning to an empty stocking or tree. I will be collecting toys on the River Campus and then dropping off at the Strong Museum of Play on December 21. In the meantime, gather up some toys and reach out! I would be more than willing to meet you on the University of Rochester River Campus, or where ever you maybe, and pick up a batch before then. If you can’t donate toys, try volunteering by contacting the Finger Lakes Regional Volunteer Center. After all, Rochester is the second greatest volunteering city in the nation!

Tomorrow is ROC the Day! If you didn’t take part last year, then be sure to get in on a 24-hour, online giving event which gives you the opportunity to support non-profit organizations doing amazing work in the greater Rochester area. If you want to support Foodlink, we have a page up and we will be accepting donations through ROC the Day as well.

If you’re prone to forget, you can sign up for a reminder on the Roc the Day site.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for Foodlink both online and off as we host AT&T and Wegmans as part of ROC the Day. Employees from both organizations are volunteering in our warehouse, packing holiday baskets, as well as taking part in a press conference to show their support of the Foodlink mission: to provide hunger relief, eliminate the root causes of hunger, and to promote economic development. We also want to thank AT&T for their $7,000 donation in shelf stable protein items (tuna & peanut butter). Their donation will help us through the holidays and into the new year!

And sometimes, some of the most amazing and magical things you can be part of, come from an off-handed thought (or maybe a few).

A couple weeks ago, I was driving home listening to the news and heard a story about random acts of kindness — people paying off the holiday layaways of strangers. I would love to do something like that. But this year, since I left my full-time job and now work part-time, it’s not exactly the right time. I dismissed it.

About a week later, my friend Claudia shared a story on Facebook about someone buying new snow tires for a stranger leaving a note recalling the time they needed their own tires and had a hard time pulling the money together – a “pay it forward” story. Performing a similar random act of kindness was also on Claudia’s wish list.

About the same time, Toys’R'Us posted on their Facebook page the opportunity to payoff layaways for families affected by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. Coincidence?

I shared the info with Claudia proposing that if we could get some friends to chip in with us, we could create some holiday magic for a family in the NYC/NJ area. Initially, we figured if we could get about 6 people to go in with us for $25 each, we could pay off a layaway or two. The cherry on the top would be that Toy’R'Us would donate $200 to The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in appreciation of our act kindness. This would essentially match our gift and help more families.

Claudia agreed and we were off and running. Both of us posted the information on our Facebook pages hoping to get at least a couple more friends to join in. What happened was beyond our imagination.

Our efforts led to 16 additional people joining us. Each person with a unique and wonderful reason to help out. One friend wanted to pay forward the assistance her family received when she was young, another friend lives on Long Island and is grateful her family wasn’t as affected as others.

With this combined effort we raised almost $500 and have created some holiday magic for 4 families in the NYC/NJ area. Four families that might be spending their time calling FEMA and their insurance company or trying to decide whether to keep or take a loss on their property, now can take the obligation of paying off their layaway off their list. Hopefully, we’ve lightened their load, given them a little hope in humankind, and helped make some of their kids’ dreams come true.

I share this story to show how easy it can be to pull off some holiday magic with a little help from some friends. All we had to do was stop wishing and start doing.

Tomorrow , from 6:30 am until 11:30 pm, Myself , the Foodlink staff and volunteers will be stationed at Tops stores throughout Rochester for our annual Food for Families event as part of the week-long food and fund drive. We will be huddled out in front of the Mt. Read, Brighton, Penfield, and Irondequoit Tops stores, asking shoppers to help Foodlink top the donations we received last year: 49,000 pounds of food, and $50,000!

If you can’t get out to make a donation, or to just say hello, you can catch live coverage throughout the day from WROC-TVand FOX Rochester. You could also check out the online auction as another way to support Foodlink. Local retailers donated an array of goods! For the complete list click here.

In years past school bands and choruses have stopped by the stores to lift spirits and entertain the frozen-to-the-bone Foodlink staff and volunteers, if not also the shoppers coming and going. This year Santa will once again be at the Mt. Read Tops around 5pm! And, if you have never had the opportunity to meet Foodlink’s mascot, Cool Can or the other Rochester sports teams’ mascots, stop by the Mt. Read Tops around 1 pm. This Friday is a big day for Foodlink, we hope to see you out in the community!

When talking about buying a house, I often discuss the financial aspects of the transaction. The Rochester market in general is one of the best areas in the country where it is as cheap or even cheaper to own a home as to rent. This fact of course is a very important issue to consider when making a decision to buy a house. But I would like to take a moment to talk about what I think makes your house a home.
Over the years, everyone creates wonderful moments, memories, and traditions in their homes. Such as where you put a Christmas tree every year, taking videos of your kids opening presents and seeing them grow from little babies to grown-ups. Perhaps having friends and family over at Thanksgiving or cuddling up by the fireplace, chatting the evening away. Those moments become most cherished memories and what anchors them all is your home, which is more than just the walls but echoes of snapshots of your pure happiness.
Yes, helping someone buy a house from a financial standpoint is very important, but what makes this job even more gratifying is knowing that this will become a home where someone will build their lives for years to come.
Happy holidays everyone! Wishing you the season’s most precious gifts; a happy home and a peaceful heart.
Olga Podzorov
As always if you have any questions, please e-mail me at opodzorov@nothnagle.com

Trees, Blood…Abraham Lincoln; Mark Ryden certainly as a breadth of subjects (although Lincoln is quite a popular subject lately, from humble vampire-hunter beginnings to Daniel Day Lewis). Mark Ryden is known for his quirky, surrealist art full of doll-like figures, beautiful color, and Victorian-style framing. Art is Ryden’s life, his brother Keyth Ryden is an artist also as is his wife, Marion Peck. The native Oregonian studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design.

His first solo show was “The Meat Show” in Pasadena, CA in 1998. The LA Times writes “Many artists have followers. Mark Ryden has disciples” (1), this is due to the response Ryden’s bizarre work has (and I mean bizarre in the best sense of the word here!). People seemingly love Ryden for his whimsical surrealism or call his work crass and lowbrow. I have long had the personal belief that Lady Gaga’s infamous meat dress owes Ryden a thank you and a commission.

My favorite show is “Blood”. I love the deep red coloring and the innocent, gothic dolls reminiscent of the creepy toys wealthy children played with in the Victorian era. His website explains “Blood” as “miniature paintings of sorrow and fear” (2). Indeed.

His continual use of children as his central figures has sparked outrage among some. The children are often nude, wearing meat, or covered in blood. I do not think, however, that Ryden means to be vulgar in using children. He often portrays them in idyllic scenes with only the hint of the grotesque and tragic on the horizon. His paintings are often simplistic and literal. I encourage viewers to go beyond the simple explanations of the paintings and dive into the pools of meat or blood to find their own interpretations.

The Rochester's Young Professionals blog is the place to look for the latest updates on the young professionals scene in Rochester, from career advice to networking events.

Contributors

Kate McGowan is a former Rochester television news reporter now working in the non-profit sector for the nation’s leading children’s charity, Make-A-Wish. She is passionate about inspiring young professionals to use their talents in becoming more actively involved in their communities. Follow her on Twitter at @KateMcGowan

Toni Lynn Arena: I am a digital media specialist by day and a fitness loving, animal activist by night. When I'm not working on self-improvement inside and out, I work with other philanthropists to build awareness within the young professional community and help make a difference.

Andrea Raethka earned a bachelor's in History, Sociology and Women's Studies from the College of Brockport. She is a mother of three young children and is always up for exploring new places for kiddie play dates. She enjoys good food, local shopping and keeping up to date on news, politics and public school issues. Find Andrea on Twitter: @Mango1531.

Ashley Dewey is an internet marketing blogger from Victor who shares thoughts about life and pets.

Audrey Burns is a reader, writer and full-time nostalgist who writes about cultural and social issues in Rochester.

Cynthia Pacia shares thoughts about giving and living in the Rochester area.

Eastman Young Professionals share the latest happenings at George Eastman House.

Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals share life and non-profit experiences, and their journey within Rochester’s changing landscape.

Jason Schwingle is a native of Rochester. He shares his thoughts and ideas on bringing young professionals back to Rochester and to downtown.

Jenna Kempie is the Social Media Chair for the Rochester Young Professionals, and is contributing posts on RYP activities and other helpful insights for young professionals in the community. Jenna enjoys getting out and exploring the area, and talking to people about their Rochester experiences, print and technology - on and offline. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaKempie

Jennifer Galvez Caton is an active arts volunteer who shares her passion and perspective on theater, film, dance and music with young professionals in the Rochester area.

Jerome Nathaniel is a 2011 graduate of the University of Rochester, where he was an executive editor for the Campus Times and a service fellow with the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Now, the Brooklyn native has returned to Rochester as an Americorp Vista at Foodlink, where he's serving as a hunger advocate.

Kayleigh Nutting is a non-profit professional that came to Rochester for college and never left. She is a graduate student and works full time planning special events and fundraising. Follow her as she writes about kicking back, giving back and appreciating the Flower City.

Kristine Caronna, a young professional blogger from Greece, shares her thoughts and updates.

Leah Shearer is a young professional and two-time cancer survivor from Rochester. She shares her unique perspective on all things - the serious, the silly and everything in between.

Luticha Doucette is a student researcher, activist and humanist who sees the world from a seated position. She chronicles life as a disable person seeking a PhD. position in biophysics at Yale or John Hopkins universities, and beyond.

Maria Thomas is the chair of RocCity Coalition, who is passionate about education and the needs of city youth. She writes about various opportunities for young professionals to get involved in the community.

Olga Podzorov is an agent with Nothnagle Realtors. She is a community activist and passionate philanthropist who is committed to working with young professionals. She covers a variety of real estate issues.

Ruth Harper-Rhode, a St. Bonaventure University graduate, does public relations for a local nonprofit. She moved to Rochester from a small city in 2011 and lived on Park Ave before moving to Penfield, where she currently resides.

Terra Keller sends updates from the staff at Foodlink, a popular regional food bank.

Stefanie Schwingle is a Rochester native and has worked at Wegmans Corporation for the past 10 years, but her interests lie in entrepreneurship and communication and her passions include urban living, photography, and cooking. Stefanie lives downtown with her husband and loves everyday life in the city.

Taren Greenidge earned her B.A. in Economics and Political Science, cum laude, in 2007 from Spelman College and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2010. She is an associate at Littler Mendelson, P.C, a U.S.-based international law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in every aspect of labor and employment law. Taren is the president of the Black Young Professionals of Rochester, an auxiliary of the Urban League of Rochester, N.Y., Inc., which targets individuals ages 21 through 40 to foster growth and professional development, to empower members to achieve success and to strive to improve the community.